Our mom first shared this on Facebook in June 2023. It’s lightly edited here, and we left out a link to a video and one statistic we couldn’t find a source for (what the research does say is below).
My friend Christi, at the Judah Brown Project, has advocated tirelessly for years against the use of Puddle Jumpers. She, and other families who have lost their child to drowning, receive so much backlash and so many ugly comments from others who think they are trying to deflect and blame anything but themselves for their child drowning. This cannot be further from the truth.
The truth is, we are all human. When we hear story after story of a child who drowned moments after taking off the device that kept them afloat, it is our responsibility to admit that the very device we were using to protect them is actually the reason they feel so confident jumping back in, with or without it.
Please ask yourself: would your child know what happens if they were to go back in without the device on? Moments later, after eating a pool snack? Hours later, during cleanup? Days later, when the family is inside but the door or gate isn’t shut properly?
At the end of the day, water is beautiful and fun, until it’s not. If a layer of protection fails (supervision, gates, alarms), would your child know that the device was keeping them afloat, or would they jump in carefree and drown?
Enroll your child in survival swim lessons so they can respect the water. Hold your non-swimmer, or stay within an arm’s length in the pool. If this seems like too much, or takes the fun out of swimming, then buy or visit a splash pad.
There are far worse things you could be required to do in a day. Trust us.
Shannon Matherne, mother of a drowning survivor and water safety advocate
What the research says: in a CPSC study of young children who drowned in pools, 69% weren’t expected to be at or in the pool at all, yet they were found in the water (CPSC Publication 359).
Learn why we recommend ISR self-rescue lessons and the layers of protection that work together.